Friday, December 26, 2014

FACE-OFF FRIDAY: Traditional Weapons vs. Demo "XMA"-Style Weapons

Weapons - be it bo, nunchaku, sai, or sword, there's the traditional version, and the flashy "demo" version influenced by the "XMA" performance-type weapons commonly seen today at tournaments.

For some of us, learning weapons in a traditional way with traditional applications is an end unto itself, and worthwhile.

For others, being able to "wow" spectators with weapons skill is the way to go, and thus, flashy "performance" kata and techniques that are chosen for how they look (often set to music) to an audience, versus combative effectiveness as traditionally studied.